Absent during protests, Baton Rouge mayor is more visible

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — After police killed a man outside a convenience store and protesters filled the streets, the first black mayor of the Louisiana capital was conspicuously missing.

His absence was so glaring that demonstrators called for Kip Holden’s resignation.

But with the shooting deaths of three law enforcement officers on Sunday, Holden has become more visible. He’s standing up for his police force and accepting condolences from mayors across the country, including the leaders of Orlando and Dallas, and from President Barack Obama.

In an interview with The Associated Press, the 63-year-old Democrat vowed Wednesday to unify Baton Rouge after two weeks of violence.

He says the day the officers were killed was one of the worst in Baton Rouge history. And he says he’s confident the city will endure.